Goalkeeper in midfield, only two defenders: Thiago Motta's 2-7-2 formation is the future of football

Four at the back? That's kids' stuff.

Having retired at the end of last season, Thiago Motta is currently employed as coach of the Paris Saint-Germain under-19 side, where he is charged with nurturing the club's stars of tomorrow.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport this week, the former Italy international was quizzed about his transition into management, and on the kind of tactical philosophy he has adopted as a coach.

Perhaps unsurprisingly as a former defensive midfielder, he admits he favours a "compact team" with a good handle on the basics, but he also proved that he's not adverse to pushing the envelope a little bit when it comes to formations.

Indeed, rather than your bog standard 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or even 5-3-2, Motta revealed that he has hopes of introducing a revolutionary 2-7-2 into the mix.

Eagle-eyed readers may notice that all 11 players are included in Motta's midfield-heavy formation of the future.

"I include the goalkeeper in the seven in the middle," the 36-year-old explained.

"For me, the attacker is the first defender and the goalkeeper is the first attacker. The game starts from the goalkeeper, with his feet, and the forwards' pressing wins you the ball back."

A rigid seven-man unit in the middle, including the goalkeeper? Sounds like Motta is a man after former boss Jose Mourinho's staunchly defensive heart.